Zain walked through the dark hallway.
The deeper he went, the hotter the air felt.
He could hear distant footsteps and voices ahead.
Then, from around the corner, a group of soldiers appeared.
They wore the robes of the Flame God Cult.
There were at least ten of them, armed with blades and flame-forged weapons.
Some had fire swirling around their hands.
Their masks covered their faces, but their body language showed no fear.
"There he is!" one shouted.
"Don't let him go any further!"
Another stepped forward and pointed his sword at Zain.
"You're not walking past this line alive, intruder."
Zain stopped walking.
He smirked.
"Good," he said. "I was getting bored."
One of the cultists narrowed his eyes. "Kill him!"
They all moved at once.
Zain didn't draw his sword.
He cracked his knuckles instead.
Then he charged forward.
"[Heavenly Demon Breathing]."
Zain inhaled deeply.
The heat, the flames, the ether in the air.
All of it rushed into his body.
